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Why are the vast majority of people now leaving private shouts that to me contain nothing confidential?
Posted by TomUsher • 25 days ago • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: censorship, confidentiality, private messages, private shouts, public shouts, self-censorship, shout, shouts, traffic
I put this under "General Discussion." Should I have picked "BlogCatalog Questions"? Oh well
Why are the vast majority of people now leaving private shouts that to me contain nothing confidential? I'm asking that in a very matter-of-fact tone of voice since it's not easy to "read" tone.
Public shouts are links back to the shouter. Are people not interested in being seen via shouts? I think they want more traffic for whatever reason, so why the seeming trend to private shouts? What am I missing if anything? Come shout it out right here. Actually, as you know, you may speak softly if you wish.
I do understand the idea behind private messages. Perhaps I'm looking at some conscious and/or subconscious self-censorship that really runs contrary to the main point of being here on BlogCatalog. I don't want to overstate it, but I've never put a question or topic out for feedback and thought this might be one where people who are leaving private shouts where others view the private aspect as counterproductive even from what they see should be the shouter's perspective, might shed some light (maybe it will be more darkness what with all the darkness celebrated on this day, Halloween).
By the way, I'm not going to be a "censor," moderator here. Also, I don't know how many comments I'll be able to leave in the thread(s).
User Comments
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Off topic: I see that I made the title too long. I would like to see BlogCatalog provide an automatic size warning where truncation begins.
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I don't think it's always a matter of confidentiality for the private shouts .. it's simply possible that some comment or statement or conversation may not be valid in the future and making it private stops it from wandering eyes at a later date.
EG
(PM) HART // Tom - your site is down -
@ PetLvr
Sure, that's a reason why people might make a shout private. I just think there's something else going on because I've had a raft of them where the shouts are not time-sensitive.
Thanks for the heads-up about my blog, but it loads for me just fine. I wonder.... -
This issue doesn't appear to be very interesting to users so far. Of course, I'm not a "recognized name" and the title was too long.
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Post was too long for my attent, oh look a butterfly! -
The title was unfortunate, but didn't prevent me from being here, quite the contrary, with your new face, I had to check it out. I agree with DB, your post was too long. Hey, that's a nice butterfly! lol
I suspect it is pure habit - they are not thinking - instead, hey, check that out...there went a rabbit!
(We all have ADD. Some have ADHD!) -
But DBs drunk, and did it have pretty spots??? -
I am not drunk! I have sobered up ;p
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They obviously didn't check with you before they left the message. Would it make you happy if we all ran our messages by you, first? Would you like to see my e-mails, too?-
These are people messaging me and making it private. This is a recent change. Why the change? That's the question. Your private emails don't seem to have anything to do with it. If I was unclear in the question, I apologize. I trust it's clear now though.
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@dbowles1017
I'll keep that in mind for next time, if any. I suffer from Attention un-Deficit Disorder then. No slight intended there -
"I do understand the idea behind private messages. "
The reason is so that members can communicate with each, privately. Not hard to understand.-
I said that so people wouldn't give a list of why people send private shouts. I'm looking for the reason for the change. Of course, you know that. Am I handling it well? I could be "clever" and quite esoteric. However, I am serious about the question. What's the reason for the change from public to private -- a wave?
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So what are you asking?
Why does some one choose to send a private shout versus a public one?
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sounds like spam to me -
I think people just click "private" out of habit. I know I do when I leave a message for my friends but I get spam messages that are3 private and they make me think "hmmm why??" too. -
Spam and habit are interesting thoughts.
I have had some spam. I especially haven't appreciated the ones where I'm informed that someone has clicked an ad on my site and would like me to go do the same on theirs – I'm not sorry to say that ripping off Google is not part of my walk, even though Google Blog Search is censoring my Blog now.
While I was away from this discussion, it occurred to me that it could be subconscious in that if someone received one (a private shout), he or she may be more likely to possibly take it as a signal that more people are trying to be more private; so they subconsciously respond in kind even toward the next person. It perhaps becomes a wave where there is no rationale.
My feeling though is that we are losing our true identities and that the loss is being often conditioned into us with all the fear talk out there about identity theft and terrorism and on and on.
People also like to get away with things while using "handles" where they would never say whatever ("rude" thing?) if they had their home address and phone number, etc., right there.
Well, thanks for the feedback. -
I am not sure when a message is marked as private that only you can see it, or can anyone see it? -
@ drjalee52
It is not supposed to be public. The backroom people at BlogCatalog can see it though. Although, I doubt they bother with them (shouts, whether private or public) much unless someone complains about something.
If you visit other people's profiles, you should not see any private shouts including that there are any private shouts, except for shouts from you (visible to you only while you are logged in, of course).
That's my understanding. If I have that wrong, will someone help clear it up here?
Thanks.
Peace to you, brother -
it's funny when i set private message to our friend, but actually there's no private, because people still can see the message. But I like private message, because it feels personal, and getting more attention then public message. About spamming message, I think people send the same message, they just copy and paste it. In some case, they send twice or or more.-
@harisaryono
You pay more attention to a private message and feel it's more personal. All things being equal, I take messages one at a time and judge the weight by the content regardless.
If someone sends a message that should be private but is left public, I will wonder whether it was an oversight, computer issue, insensitivity, or malicious event.
As for spam, I don't count cutting and pasting, per se, as spam. There again, for me, it's a matter of content.
For instance, I sent the same public shout to people who had sent me private shouts. That public shout pointed to this discussion. I did that for the obvious reason that is to gain a greater understanding (hopefully) all the way around. Perhaps that would qualify as spam in some people's book. I don't know. Around here, it would depend upon BlogCatalog's view. If they deemed it spam, they could kill all the shouts and tell me not to handle things in that manner in future – their prerogative.
My feeling is, and has been for a long while, that it is better to opt for public shouts and real names mainly because there is so much going on right now to intimidate people into becoming invisible and voiceless while those who are doing all the warning remain right out there in public saying whatever, having an unjustified larger say concerning everything.
So, don't shrink into nothing due to fear that is conjured up by propagandists. That's some of what I think I know.
Thanks for chiming in.
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